Here, Yia-Yia & Papou refer to my Dad's grandparents, who emigrated separately from Greece. (Sometimes I refer to my grandmother as Yia-Yia, though I never called her that when she was alive.) They owned Marathon Restaurant, a Greek restaurant in Wellsville, NY, where my dad spent a lot of time as a kid, and learned the correct way to make a chocolate shake—vanilla ice cream & chocolate syrup; not with chocolate ice cream.
At some point, my Mom learned this recipe; it was one of my favorites as a kid.
Ingredients
Lamb
- ~3 lbs
- lamb shoulder or butt
- to taste
- garlic cloves (halved)
- 32 oz
- diced tomatoes
- 16 oz
- green beans
- to taste
- salt & pepper
Optional
- 1 lb
- chopped potatoes
- 16 oz
- chopped carrots
Preparation
- Pierce the lamb several times, about an inch deep, and fill each with a halved garlic clove.
- Salt & pepper the lamb.
- Oil a large cast iron braising pan or Dutch Oven, and sear the lamb on all surfaces at medium-high heat.
- Slow cook the lamb:
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the diced tomatoes (32 oz), chopped potatoes (1 lb), chopped carrots (16oz), and more salt & pepper (if desired).
- Cover the pan.
- Cook for 1–2 hours.
- Add the green beans (16 oz).
- Re-cover, and allow to cook for another 60 minutes, then serve.
About this recipe
- Canned diced tomatoes are great for sauces and this recipe. They're canned fresh, which isn't always the state of whole tomatoes at the grocery store.
- For the same reason, I like canned green beans. I also prefer regular cut beans, as opposed to French cut beans that will quickly become mushy.
- Because you're searing the lamb on relatively high heat, I like avocado oil, which has a higher smoke point than olive oil.